Family Matters
by Chris91113
Summary: What if Daisuke and Dark had two cousins that Daisuke hadn't heard about and can't remember them? On hiatus.
1. Prologue

_Family Matters_

Prologue

_A decade ago_…

It was December 15th. Everything was peaceful as a shower of diamonds fell down from the sky. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said from the Niwa household. Actually, for a certain eight year old boy with the name-

**"Kyo Niwa!!" **

He looked up with a startled expression on his face. Usually, it should have had a mysterious grin on it as if he knew everything. At this moment, he had no clue of his surroundings as he was drawing again. The picture should have been more important right now. However, when the voice of authority demands to see you, you can't ignore it.

"Kyo, what nonsense have you been telling Daisuke again? I thought I told you…"

"'Once and I've told you again to always state the facts.' Yes, I know what you're going to say, Aunt Emiko", Kyo retorted. He didn't mind when his aunt yelled at him. After all, what are the problems telling stories to the smaller and younger members of the family? Then again, Wiz (or With) wasn't exactly the _youngest_ member, come to think of it. He remembered that Wiz was more than 100 years old. It was shocking. After all, it seemed a bit impossible because Wiz was a very active and cute rabbit. (He can't be 100, no way.) And nobody had told him that little fact either, Kyo knew crankily. It was the aura of magic around Wiz that had led to that conclusion-

**"Kyo, I want you to come down here now!"** Emiko's voice demanded, which carried itself up the stairs.

"Give me five more minutes!" Kyo called. He didn't panic or rush at all. He knew what he was doing. He drew in the rest of the details of the picture and placed his pencil back on the desk. '_Should I paint this scene and show it off immediately or wait until everyone shows up?'_ he wondered. He decided to show it when everyone came by. Of course, the wait would take a pretty long time. In fact, a few years from now…

"Hey Wiz, want to see the snow falling?" Kyo asked. He climbed up the ladder to his bed and carefully shook awake the small bundle of white fur on top of his pillow. As he shook, the little bundle showed small, red, puppy-like yet sleepy eyes. It stretched out to reveal itself as Wiz, the pet of the Niwa household.

"Kyuuu…" Wiz yawned. He jumped onto Kyo's right shoulder and nuzzled against his neck. Kyo compensated and scratched his back while walking toward the balcony's window. He smiled at the snowflakes dropping down. He was only in the third grade after all. His friends had always commented about his liking of nature. Kyo kept telling them that he just wanted to see the impossible happen.

"How can I truly be described?" Kyo wondered out loud. He had asked this question to himself and others. It must be a coincidence that he always got the same answers back at him.

He was known as an artist, which was the first thing. He liked looking at and doing all forms of art. The art contest at his school had proven the fact well. The newspaper article pasted in his journal had been saying that he, Kyo Niwa, was in first place (out of all of the other elementary schools in Japan!). The painting was hanging around in the museum somewhere. It was great to visit the museum and be proud of his work. He felt a feeling of pride arouse inside him along with the happiness of finally being recognized. Not by the public, of course (he would have rather kept a low profile), but by his older relatives. His mother had taught him well…

What was the second thing again?

Ah, as a pianist, that was it. Kyo personally thought he shouldn't get any praise from that part of him. His father had gotten him addicted to Beethoven when he was only four, damn it. It had started out as a hobby and still was. Yet he kept getting asked to perform. He knew his friends were trying to help, but he preferred not to get into the annual talent show. Too many people staring at _him_… that was going to be too much for him to take. Especially from the girls in the audience whispering about _him_…

How embarrassing.

Now, what was the last thing?

_SLAM!_

Kyo's thoughts vanished as fast as the door behind him slammed open. His closed eyes, his small smile, his placidity and the feelings of positivity were swept away by the wind of anger. His eyes and mouth were as big as dinner plates as he whirled around. Dread crept up his back as he realized that he had procrastinated too long (uh oh). The woman in front of him wasn't his aunt. Actually, the Aunt Emiko in front of him wasn't the aunt he knew _and_ liked…

o0o0o0o0o0

Crystal stared at nothing in particular. She was dressed in red. Red hair ribbons, red dress, even a red bow around her teddy bear's neck (which was on her lap). Her socks, however, were black. (How curious…) She was sitting on one of the couches in the living room. For being a cute, cubby four year old, she looked quite melancholy. (Why?)

Staring was something she could do well, which wasn't unusual for her age. She was one out of the two youngest children, the other one being Daisuke.

Speaking of Daisuke…

She came back from wherever she had been and refocused on her cousin. He was asleep on the right side of the couch. He had on a red sweater with white stripes going through it. It matched with the red pants and white socks that he wore. He was breathing softly and looked even cuter in sleep. He was also innocent, something she didn't even know if she had anymore.

Not that her aunt could even help her know. She was always 'too busy'…

Kyo couldn't be bothered, either…

Bickering could be heard from upstairs. '_It could only be my brother and aunt. Of course, isn't it always?_' she thought. "Why must they argue so much? I can't even believe that Kyo hasn't kicked the bucket yet from the glares he gets from Auntie", she sighed, "What do you think, Yuki?"

The teddy bear gave no response to her question.

"Kyo, you are acting so irresponsibly. I have taken you into my house and yet you act so defiant", Emiko's voice came from the staircase. She had dragged the poor boy downstairs with his left ear between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Aunt Emiko, stop hurting my ear", Kyo whined. He wrenched himself out of her grasp and gingerly massaged his sore ear. "I may go deaf if you're not careful", he continued.

"To continue from earlier before, I have to go out", Emiko said. Crystal knew that obvious fact already. Emiko had her short, brown hair done nicely. She had on a black down coat and a black wool scarf. Her (black) purse was waiting for her on the coat rack near the door. As she kept talking, she placed on matching (black) gloves.

"I have to visit grandpa at the hospital. He seems to be doing fine, but he keeps sleeping for hours on end. It's getting too worrisome… children, the doctor even told me he may not make it for Christmas", Emiko spoke softly.

Crystal's body stiffened at the news. Kyo's expression was cold and faraway. Wiz moaned softly. Daisuke kept sleeping, unaware.

"Auntie, you're not planning to do…hmmm, anything else besides checking up on grandpa, right?" Kyo said slowly.

Emiko gave him a stern look. "What possibly gave you that idea? Kyo, this is your grandfather we're talking about", Emiko said. She walked toward the door and paused. "By now you should know the drill, Kyo. Keep everyone _and_ the house safe. I'm going to be back late, so don't wait for me. I also don't want any mischief. I don't want to see any defaced walls when I get back," she said dryly. Without waiting for a response, she grabbed her purse and went out into the snowy world.

"As if we're even going to do that", Crystal said.

o0o0o0o0o0

Kyo was riding on a sea of despair. Grandpa was expected to go before Christmas? That couldn't be possible. He was an energetic and witty person. He had inspired Kyo to tell bedtime stories to Daisuke, Crystal and Wiz. Most of the stories had been about Kaitou (Thief) Dark. He was an art thief, had never gotten caught and had black wings. He had been around for a couple of years (about 300 or 400 years, yikes!). Of course, Kyo had (kind of) known those facts already…

No, now wasn't the time to wonder about his grandfather's tales. If Grandfather Daiki was to live, Kyo had to put his plan in action before the week went out. But he needed to wait for the right time. For now, he must be patient…

"Let me guess… Auntie is going to buy a drink too, right?" Crystal's voice broke through his thoughts.

Kyo looked up. "With that amount of guilt rolling out of her (this is pretty much a lot), of course. I'm afraid that her drinking is going to get us in hot water someday", he said in a monotone-kind of voice.

Crystal simply looked at the floor and shook her head. She was feeling mournful.

It had started when Uncle Kosuke had left the rest of the family on his 'expedition'. Before he had left, he had made Kyo the 'man of the house' besides grandpa, of course. Emiko had gotten a little depressed over her husband leaving, but kept on a strong face. It was nice until grandpa had gotten sick. It was a respiratory illness (the name was hard to remember, not that it even mattered). The disease had gotten worse, so he was sent to the hospital. Emiko, having too much stress, lost it and really became depressed. Kyo had to make it his duty to keep everything together until she got better. He got her medicine, watched over the house and his family, and waited for a miracle.

Two months ago, Emiko somehow got out of her depression and drank down a whole bottle of wine. Then she began going out to 'visit grandpa', but Kyo knew that was partly an excuse to go to a bar. (He had stalked her on one visit to find out the truth.) It had gotten to the point of when she began hiding bottles of whiskey, gin, wine, alcohol and even beer around the house. (Yikes!)

Kyo had also been appointed as the babysitter to Daisuke, Krystal and Wiz. (Double yikes!) However, he was in a position to try and stop her from drinking. For example, he had taken all the bottles in the house and threw them outside into the trashcan. He had tried reverse psychology, had tried to beg, argue, plead, throw a fit and be forceful (the worst idea ever-he still had the bruise on his back). The only other option was a rehab facility, but he needed an adult for that kind of help (Who would even believe an eight year old kid saying that his aunt was getting drunk?). If only he knew where Uncle Kosuke was, then maybe she would stop. (But where in the world was he?)

_'I also don't want any mischief. __I don't want to see any defaced walls when I get back'_ .The words echoed inside his head and he felt annoyed. Was it his fault that he liked being lively and wanted to have a good time? Okay, maybe thinking up pranks and countless schemes was his fault. (Don't worry, Crystal and Wiz were wearing helmets and had pillows all around their bodies when we were sliding down the stairs! Just like penguins would at the South Pole!) Besides, it was okay to laugh every once in a while, right? (Hey, Aunt Emiko, Daisuke's head got chopped off when he fell off the tree. Oh man, don't faint! It's just a mannequin, see?) Maybe they were getting a little mean, though… (Guilty...)

Hey, that was the third and last thing he was known for. He was a terribly great trickster. (That is a good thing to be, right? Not to his family, though.)

o0o0o0o0o0

Suddenly, an idea came to her head.

Crystal shook Daisuke awake. "Hey Dai, we need you to wake up. Aunt Emiko's out and Kyo… err, is going to tell us another story", she improvised.

Daisuke immediately jumped up. "What's it going to be about, Kyo?! Come on, tell us, tell us!" he said. (What an energetic cousin…) Wiz jumped down from Kyo's shoulder and landed on Daisuke's head.

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you. It's going to be about this winter and Christmas", Kyo laughed. He shot a look at Crystal before sitting down on the couch.

She looked down guiltily. She realized that he knew she was trying to lighten up the mood. She didn't like it when her brother thought about things too seriously. (Doesn't that hurt your head?) Man, wasn't it enough that he was a… wait, was that again? Was he even telling the truth at the time? No, he had to be telling the truth, his face was too serious when he was pouring out what seemed to be the impossible. At the time, he was being frantic and was trying to keep everyone he loved safe. However, it was too late because many people had gotten injured because he just couldn't hold back his temper. The temper had come from the hatred of that evil demon…

No.

Don't think about it now. Kyo has a much better temper now. Besides, look at him. He's _smiling_and telling us a good story. Only that could happen if he was in a good mood. Yes, his face had none of that seriousness now. Just sit back and listen to Kyo weaving another story…

"Now, I want you to close your eyes", Kyo said, "Imagine that you had the power to fly. You're flying over Azumano and it's at night. Do you see the full moon? Yes Dai, you have the right picture. Well, now we can begin. So, one moon lit night…"

* * *

There are some things I want to state from this story. 

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own the manga or anime D.N. Angel. ****I may use some parts of the anime/manga to keep the story as true as possible, but I don't own it.**** All I own is Kyo, Crystal and anything else not taken from D.N. Angel. (If anyone tries to take ****my characters from me withou****t a disclaimer, I shall be mad and forceful.)**

This is a pretty long prologue, I know, but I had to put down as much as I could. If anyone has a problem with the size or anything else about the story (like not having enough details), do tell. If there are any suggestions, review.

Oh yes… this is my first story on fan fiction. Flamers, if you flame me, give me a good reason why. I'll try to be tolerant enough.

It's going to be at least a month before I put up chapter one, so I'm sorry if people are impatient. (I'm being truthful here.) But I need a certain amount of time to write out everything, okay?

(One last thing I shall mention-Emiko seems a bit mean in this story, isn't she? Don't get that idea; she's just having too much stress. As for Daiki, he'll be fine too. Don't worry; you'll see all of your favorite characters come in. Dark may be in chapter one, but I can't promise that. Daisuke will be, though.)


	2. Theft

_Family Matters_

Chapter 1: Theft

A decade later, present time…

_I shall steal__ the Yuki Rika tonight at 9:30._

_Dark_

The notice had come, bringing the police of Azumano another step closer to insanity. It was the second notice from the infamous thief this week. Inspector Saehara was getting tired of these games. He was running around doing who knows what. He sorely wished that when he got the phantom thief in his grasp, he would make him suffer a very slow death. Yes, a very, _very_ slow and painful death to show Dark how much he was being appreciated…

He turned around at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Commander, do you have a plan to catch this good for nothing phantom thief?" he asked.

Fourteen year old Commander Satoshi Hiwatari didn't respond. If he talked to this amateur of an inspector every time he asked that question, they wouldn't get anywhere. His mind was once again whirling with possible plans.

He had already chosen one, but it was a bit on the risky side. Because of that, he would have to do everything himself.

Ah well, as long as Dark gets captured, it wouldn't be for naught…

"I have a plan, but it shall be executed on my behalf. In the meantime, you can start assembling the guards", Satoshi said.

Inspector Saehara fumed silently. That little brat! Why does he do this to him? Doesn't he realize that their reputations were on the line here? My god, how in the world did this little kid get to be commander anyway? Shouldn't someone older with more experience have this job?

However, there was to be no complaints. His father had power in the police station and Saehara would get fired if he complained about Satoshi.

Humph!

"Fine, Commander. The guard shall be assembled", Saehara said through clenched teeth. He backed out of the office and ran down the hall.

o0o0o0o0o0

The plane landed. It had come a long way from America to reach Japan. Of the passengers leaving was a teenage girl and a young man. They had agreed to visit an art museum before greeting their relatives.

They went into the museum. They mingled in with the crowds, milling around, admiring the many pieces of art.

He found the room where the Yuki Rika was being held in."This is the art work Dark is planning to steal, right?" he asked his comrade.

She smiled, "Let's take a look."

It was a painting from the 19th century. It depicted a love scene. A couple, with their backs to the viewer, was sitting on a stone bench in a garden. They were leaning on each other in a state of contentment. A full moon was seen in the background, illuminating their relationship.

"Man, this is really great. The artist has outdone himself", the girl squealed.

"There isn't a sign here with the info on this painting, so how can the artist be a 'he'?" the young adult commented. '_Not that I even need it, but she can'__t see__ through it.' _he thought.

"I'm glad to see that some people appreciate art", a voice said.

The man turned around and saw the sapphire haired boy. He seemed to be the same age as his comrade, maybe fourteen or fifteen. '_Could it be_?' he wondered. It had to be… the glasses, the cold stare he gave them, the reserve he kept around him… no, it couldn't be possible…

"You two can't stay here for long, though. Dark himself wants to take it, so admire it as long as it's here" the boy continued. There a trace of disgust in his words. Then he left the room to themselves.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" she asked. She childishly stuck her tongue out after him.

"Have some manners, sis", her brother said, "That was just Satoshi now."

"Really, I couldn't tell. How do you know?"

"Even though he has changed, I can still see him. But he was different a long time ago."

He took another look at the painting. "He seems to have tampered with it, but I can't really tell what he did. I'll have to take a closer look later…" he murmured to himself.

"It seems that if the worst should happen, I'll have to steal the painting tonight instead of Dark."

o0o0o0o0o0

Satoshi was walking home to his apartment. He decided to rest up before he had to go back tonight. He would have to leave in time to set up the rest of the traps. The ones like heat sensors, trip wires and lasers.

_What about the trap you placed up for him on the pain__ting, Satoshi-__sama?__ Shouldn't that be more than enough?_

Krad's voice echoed in his head. Satoshi gritted his teeth.

_Shut the hell up, Krad!_

No matter what he did, he was always there. Watching everything he did and then waiting for the opening to be able to break out of his body… the intense pain would come…

But that pain! Always enveloping him, choking him… seeing the darkness… gasping… the sea of black, trying to drown him… flames, burning, arching his back as the wings came out…

Wings…

No.

Don't think about it. Take a deep breath, you can do it.

Don't think about and you will be okay.

Don't think about it and you will be okay…

o0o0o0o0o0

"Daisuke, it's nearly 9:00! Come down! I have a new outfit for you to try on!" Emiko called.

Daisuke was arguing with Dark at that moment.

_This is the second theft in a week! Can't a guy get any rest!_

_Quiet, Daisuke! You shouldn't complain! I'm the one lugging around the heavy art works!_

_Why__ do I even tell you my troubles?_

_You're too helpless. Emiko is calling for us, get down already!_

Daisuke ran downstairs. He was greeted by his family. The Niwa family consisted of Emiko (Daisuke's mother), Kosuke (Daisuke's father), Daiki (Daisuke's grandfather), To-to (the family maid), Wiz (the family pet), Dark (Daisuke's brother) and Daisuke himself.

The new outfit was black (obviously) consisting of a tight, long-sleeved shirt and pants. The collar went down in a v-shaped form.

"You really outdid yourself again, Mom", Daisuke said. He turned around in front of a mirror. It was the truth, it did look well.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. Then the transformation occurred. He grew taller; his hair color turned from fiery red to night black and then it was Dark in front of everyone.

"Well everyone, it's time for me to go. Wiz, come on", Dark said. He began running up to the roof.

"Be safe and don't get caught!" Emiko called after him.

"Don't worry; we'll be back in one piece, right Dai?" Dark said. Wiz transformed into wings and attached himself to Dark's back. Then Phantom Thief Dark flew over the rooftops to the art museum where his object of desire lay.

o0o0o0o0o0

"Turn the television on! We have to see how this turns out!" Emiko called. The TV was already blaring on, with the reporter going on about Dark's latest heist. There was a crowd in the background, full with curious people, Dark's crazy fan girls and the police yelling orders to everyone.

"What pandemonium!" Daiki exclaimed. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it", Kosuke said. He opened the door and gasped.

On the doorstep was a teenage girl about Daisuke's age. Her black hair lay around her shoulders loosely. She had two suitcases and a bag with her. She was frowning and looked uneasy.

_'She's back, but where is her brother?'_

"It's great to see you again, Uncle Kosuke", the girl said.

"We have a problem."

o0o0o0o0o0

Thank god he hadn't been seen yet.

He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the painting and tried to see just the problem itself.

Just ten minutes ago, the police had came in and told him to get out with everyone else. His sister had to go, but not him. He couldn't let that happen. The trap was still on that painting and he had just gotten an idea of what it might be.

No way.

However, there was one thing that lifted his spirits.

Dark's opinion of the police had been proven correct to him.

They were too stupid and nearsighted to do anything.

So it had been easy to divert their attention for two seconds. That was enough time to cast an illusionary spell and blend in with the walls like a chameleon.

Ah, he could see it now. It was a simple trap, one that anyone skilled in magic should know.

Separation…

Satoshi really needed to read up more on magic. _'What an amateur.'_

The only problem was of how to remove it.

His leg suddenly shook slightly. He forced himself up.

_'Drat, my cane is in one of Crystal's suitcases. Even though I have a spare, I'm a fool for leaving important things in that monster of a suitcase.__ It's probably been eaten to wood chips.__ Oh well…'_

He sighed and ran a hand through his black, messy hair.

_'I hope I won't need any support if I have to run.'_

He took a deep breath.

_'Okay, everything is set. All I have__ to do is__ think of the magic words in my head__ and focus__. My source of energy may decrease dramatically, but it's worth it. Alright, now-'_

"Hold it! Who the hell are you?"

He whirled around. His brown eyes collided with the annoyed amethyst eyes of Dark.

_'Oh boy…'_

o0o0o0o0o0

Dark was one annoyed thief. First, he had been forced to crash through a window in order to get in. He was shaking out the glass shards in his hair when he slipped up. Then he had stumbled through a trap and injured his arm during an argument with Daisuke. They had avoided the guards well, but not the argument, which was on a painfully embarrassing topic for Dark.

_Damn..._

_Daisuke, it doesn't matter now! _

_Oh really, I shouldn't know of how many girls you have seduced and kissed your whole life?_

_Um, there's too many to count…_

_Aha! I knew you were a pervert!_ Daisuke said slyly.

_Shut up, we're going into the room now. What the-?!_

Now Dark was in a different predicament. Who was the guy in the room? He didn't seem to be a guard, so what was his business?

Was he another thief?

"Hold it! Who the hell are you?"

The guy turned around. He had on a simple outfit with jeans, a red shirt and sneakers. His brown eyes were surprised and his hair reminded Daisuke of his father.

No, he couldn't be a thief in that outfit!

The mystery guy straightened himself up.

"Does my business have anything to do with yours?"

"Sorry pal, but I'm stealing this painting."

The guy smiled and said, "I wouldn't touch it if I were you, Dark… or Dai."

Daisuke became panicky. _He knows! Is he related to Satoshi?_

Dark kept on an arrogant face while he was melting of fear inside. _How am I supposed to know! This guy is stalling too much, I'm stealing the painting NOW!_

With a simple maneuver around the guy, Dark grabbed the painting. It began to glow and Dark felt his body being ripped apart. Out of the corner of his eyes, Daisuke was starting to rip away from him like torn paper.

_Damnit!_

_Too late!_

o0o0o0o0o0

_'I didn't know that our first meeting would be like this. Damn the idiot Dark!'_

He had been too slow to stop the thief and now they were in this problem. He saw the glow from the painting. Daisuke was now halfway out of Dark's body. Wiz had tranformed back and was cowering on the floor. Dark was as frozen as a statue and seemed to be in pain.

There was noises coming from the hallway. He could make out running footsteps and alarms. The door was closed, but if he didn't act fast enough, the police would be sending all of them to death immediately.

_'Why me? Why me of all people?'_ he wondered.

_'One thing at a time, okay?'_

He reached inside himself and made a ball of energy in his right hand. He ran foward yelling incoherent words and thrusted his hand into the painting. It stopped glowing and he caught it before it fell on the floor.

_'One problem has been solved.'_

Daisuke slipped back into Dark's body and the phantom thief fell down to the floor in a faint.

At the same time, the door began breaking down.

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

_'But the next one hasn't! __Kya!'_

* * *

Hey! This is the first chapter! See how it is! Can I have at least one review? I need an opinion here!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DN Angel. I only own the two cousins.**

I didn't know the theft would come out to this! It's exciting and exhilarating!

Hey fans! I heard that another new chapter of DN Angel is coming out on Dec 22. Be prepared.


	3. Reunion

_Family Matters_

Chapter 2: Reunion

Satoshi was one disappointed commander. Dark had somehow managed to escape _again_, as usual.

_'__Another piece of the Hikari art works has been stolen. __Oh well, as long as life goes on…'_

_'But how could the trap have been broken? Maybe it malfunctioned?'_

He sighed and proceeded to walk over to Inspector Saehara.

The inspector was a furious ball of nerves, yelling at everyone, blabbing on and on about how they had failed _again_. Saehara was spitting out sentences like a machine gun. He was currently saying, "All of you must have feet of lead and holes in your head! The media will be having a field day! Our reputations are on the line here! Once again, the police of Azumano are going to be mocked at! We'll be the laughing stock of-"

"It's time to lock up; you should be quiet and help out", Satoshi interrupted, "I'm going home, so I'll see you at the time of the next heist."

What the hell?! The conceited brat wasn't going to help them? Saehara was mad, but he couldn't do anything. Like an obedient servant, he clamped his mouth shut and proceeded to lock up.

_'What a night. Tomorrow is going to be much worse because the phones are going to be ringing off their hooks. I never knew this job could be this stressful. Maybe I should consider early retirement…'_

Meanwhile, Satoshi was walking back to his apartment. Then Krad started talking to him.

_Hmmm, this must be another failed attempt at trying to catch Dark Mousy?_

Normally, Satoshi would have snapped at him to shut the hell up. However, since he decided he had nothing else to lose, he answered back.

_What else does it look like to you?_

_It seems to me that your little trap didn't work._

Satoshi resisted the urge to punch himself in the chest.

_That doesn't matter._

_Ah, but that was a pretty impressive trap you placed on the painting.__ It was supposed __to activate when touched by Dark._

_You were watching me?_

_Of course I was, Satoshi-sama. It was supposed to rip Dark and Daisuke apart and seal Dark into the painting. However, were you even thinking of what might have happened if the police found Daisuke?_

Satoshi stopped in his tracks. He _had _overlooked that little detail.

_Why do you even care for the enemy? The Niwa family has always been against the Hikari family for a long time._

_Shut the hell up, Krad!_

Satoshi resumed walking but at a more irritated speed.

o0o0o0o0o0

_'__Ugh__what__happened__?'_

Dark groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he asked. He was lying down on a couch.

"Hey guys, Dark is awake!" he heard Towa say. _'Ah, I'm back at the house. But how did I get here?__ I passed out, didn't I?'_

_Dark, what happened? Why aren't we at the museum?_

_Daisuke, are you okay?_

_I'm fine, but what was it with the both of us separating into two? _

_I think there must have been a trap on that painting to capture me, of course._

"My babies, are you all right!?" Emiko screamed. She jumped on top of Dark and squeezed him tightly.

"Ah, Emiko, they're both fine. Honestly, I think you have to stop hugging him otherwise Dark is going to implode", Kosuke said to his extremely worried wife. He was right; Dark was starting to turn blue in the face because his lungs were trapped.

Emiko reluctantly got off him and Dark began breathing in deeply.

_Man, mom can really kill a guy just by hugging him!_ Daisuke panted.

"Well Auntie, if you're finished trying to choke Dark to death, I would like to speak", someone behind Dark said.

He turned around and nearly had a heart attack.

The mystery guy from the museum was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. He was smirking at Dark with very innocent eyes, which made him irritated. (Those eyes aren't really that innocent…)

"Who are you, stranger?" Dark said. _'Get the hell out of the house!'_

"Why should I be a stranger? I'm in the same house as you and no one has tried to kill me yet. Besides, you should be thankful. I saved you from a life of having to eat rats in prison", the guy stated.

Dark stood up and looked at him in the eyes. His senses were telling him to get into defense mode and he already disliked this guy.

"Tell me your name and how you're related to the family-if you are even related at all", Dark said coldly.

"I am Kyo Niwa. I am eighteen and I am your cousin", Kyo said slowly.

"_You _are my cousin? I haven't heard of Daisuke having a cousin", Dark scoffed. A second later, he noticed the uneasy atmosphere in the living room. It didn't feel right for some reason. He wondered if he should start regretting his harsh words.

Daiki was twitching in his seat. Kosuke and Emiko were giving each other backward looks. Wiz, who was on Daiki's lap, began moaning softly. Towa was the only one looking clueless.

What was going on?

o0o0o0o0o0

Crystal decided enough was enough. She had been hiding in the kitchen drinking water and listening to her relatives talking the whole time. The silence had already lasted for one whole minute. It was annoying her. She was mostly a teen of action and didn't like this silence.

_'Here goes nothing.'_

She deposited her cup into the sink and marched into the room.

"Hey, what happened to the conversation? I thought you guys were-" she paused dramatically. Then she turned around to face the astonished Dark.

"Daisuke! Dark! It's been such a long time since we saw each other. Where have you been?" she exclaimed. In a flash, she was standing next to Kyo in the doorway and was then sitting on Dark's lap hugging him.

The atmosphere changed as everyone took in what had happened in the last ten seconds.

"**Crystal, what are you doing!?!**" nearly everyone screamed.

Kyo's face turned red as he stared at his embarrassing sister.

She didn't see Dark's face, but her ears picked up his heartbeats. The moment she had hugged him, it had skipped a beat, then resumed beating. However, his heart was starting to beat faster than before. It sounded as if he was going to have a heart attack.

She got off him and smiled, "Whoops, I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away now, did I?"

Dark was in a state of shock. His eye was twitching and he was frozen. Then Daisuke was the shocked one on the couch.

"Are-Are you always this exuberant?" he managed to ask.

"Not always, but I'm glad to see you", Crystal grinned.

"Anyway, what was it you were saying, Dark?" Kyo asked. He had regained his composure.

"Kyo…" Emiko interrupted.

"We're not trying to insult you or anything, but…" Kosuke said.

"Well, after the incident that happened here, we assumed…" Daiki finished.

Kyo nodded grimly, "I see what you are talking about."

"Well anyway, I want to ask if you can take care of Crystal. I have to go back to school soon and I can't bring her with me."

"Why, of course! We even have a guest room set aside for her. It'll be great to have another child here!" Emiko gushed.

_What the-!__ Do we need__another person __in the house?_

_Dark, be nice…_

o0o0o0o0o0

Kyo grinned, "Well then, I better get going back to the airport. I have to fly back to school. It's been great seeing my family again."

Crystal hugged Kyo tightly. "When will we see you again, big brother?" she asked.

"I'll be back during summer vacation. But don't worry, I gave your presents to the adults here and you can have them on Christmas day", he smiled.

He walked over to Daisuke. "Well Dai, it seems that you've grown up since I last saw you. Dark, you seem to have a great tamer. The both of you have to always stick together, okay?" he advised.

Kyo went over to Wiz next. "Hey Wiz, are you still a big glutton like before?" he said and rubbed Wiz's belly. Wiz purred and said, "Kyu!"

"I knew it, you little-"

Finally, he went over to Emiko and paused. She was different now, but she was still his aunt. What could he say that would be sufficient enough?

_"Get the hell out of my house, you little rat!"_

_**Crack!**_

"Auntie, I just want to say that I forgive you. We don't have to remember the past, okay?" he smiled. Emiko simply stared at him dumbfounded. Kyo gave her a hug and then closed the front door behind him.

It was starting to snow and Kyo knew that the streets would have blankets of white by tomorrow morning. He had observed snow for a long time since it intrigued him to no end.

He paused at the gate and looked at the house again. The light in the windows had moving shadows, suggesting that everyone was going to bed. Strange that it was almost like a decade ago…

_He was dragging his suitcase down the stairs. She appeared at the doorway and was trying to get past grandpa. It seems that the spell wore off too early…_

_"Where do you think you're going, Kyo?" Daiki had looked into his eyes._

_"I have to go, I don't care where, but it can't be here!" he yelled. He knew…_

_He knew…_

o0o0o0o0o0

"Um, this is where your room is going to be", Daisuke said. He was giving Crystal a quick tour around the house and she seemed to be interested in everything.

He opened the door and they were both surprised at the changes his mother had made. The room was painted blue and had a comfy bed in the corner. There was also a desk, a small chest of drawers, a full length mirror and a balcony similar to the one in Daisuke's room.

"Whoa…" Crystal let out. She wheeled her suitcase inside and bounced on top of the bed. Her black hair swished around her head wildly.

"Hey, thanks for everything, Dai!" she squealed. Daisuke wondered at the simply child like qualities she had. Crystal was almost like a miniature Emiko. Crazy, but he reckoned that the world was always like that.

"Well, um… good night, Crystal", Daisuke mustered out and closed the door.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own D.N. Angel. (Sorry for the wait everyone, but I couldn't get on the computer because my dad locked me out! Damn it, dad, stop grounding me!) 

I'm also posting my first _Naruto _story; how is it?


	4. The New Student

_Family Matters_

Chapter 3: The New Student

"Oh Dai-chan, you better wake up now or you'll be late! You have to take Crystal to school!" Emiko called. The reply was a "Just five more minutes, mom."

_Oy Daisuke, shouldn't you get up already?_

_But I'm so tired from last night's job…_

_Hurry up; I want to see what the newspaper says about me!_

_Man, are you so conceited..._

"Hey Daisuke, aren't you getting up? You can't sleep until Christmas, you know", he heard Crystal say next to him. He literally jumped out of the covers in shock. She was standing next to his bed with a timid look. She had on a red shirt and jeans. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and there was a necklace around her neck. Her feet, which had on red socks, were tapping impatiently.

"Did mom tell you to wake me up?!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, she also said that if you don't get up, she'll tell me everything about your love life. So do the names Riku and Risa Harada have any meaning to you?" Crystal sneered.

"No way in eternity! I'm out of bed already!" Daisuke jumped up.

"See you downstairs", she sniggered and locked the door behind her.

_That girl seems to be getting on your nerves this morning-_

_Not a word from your big mouth, Dark!_

yuyuyu

"Thank god we made it before the bell rang", Daisuke panted. He was outside the classroom door with Crystal, who was taking in the new scenery.

"This is Azumano High School?" she questioned. Drinking down some water, Daisuke nodded.

"Ah, you must the new student", the homeroom teacher came up from behind them. "I'm afraid you'll have to go downstairs to the office to register", she said.

"That's no problem. Oh Daisuke, I don't need your help. I'll find the office on my own", Crystal smiled and walked away.

Daisuke entered the noisy homeroom and sat down at his desk. Takeshi ran up to his desk in excitement.

"Hey Daisuke, I heard rumors of a new student entering this class! I hope it's a girl! If that may be it, I'll get a picture of her into the newspaper", he rambled on.

Daisuke felt a little queasy because he didn't know if Crystal would want her picture in the newspaper. Unfortunately, Takeshi was the editor of the school paper, so things may not go well…

"Hello Daisuke", a cool voice said behind him.

Daisuke recognized that Satoshi was behind him immediately before he even spoke. Maybe it was just a sixth sense, since Satoshi was trying to capture Dark. But maybe Dark had something to do with it. After all, he and Krad had a mysteriously hard connection, so maybe that connection had spread to make the tamers feel it too. Maybe that was how they knew where the other was even if they were as still as a statue.

Wait, why was he even thinking about the unknown in the first place?

"Ah, great to see you again, Satoshi", Daisuke answered with nervous laughter.

"Alright class, back to your seats!" Regina-sensei commanded and waited as everyone (except Satoshi, who walked fluidly to his seat) scrambled to a chair.

"We are going to have another student in the class with us for the rest of the year. I want everyone to treat her with respect. It's okay to come in now!"

o0o0o0o0o0

Crystal waited nervously as she heard the volume of noise inside the classroom tone down. She was standing outside the classroom door as the teacher had told her to. Now she heard the teacher telling her to come in.

_Will__ I be accepted as one of them?_

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in. When she got to the middle of the blackboard, she stopped and turned around. She heard their soft whispering and looked around into their curious glances.

"Ah, will you please introduce yourself?" the teacher asked.

"Sure, sensei. I am Crystal Niwa to all of you. Anyhow, Daisuke is my cousin. (Daisuke turned red at this.) I have many hobbies. Some examples are of acting or drama, reading and music."

"Very good Crystal, you may have the empty seat in the back there. Now, will everyone take out their math textbooks and go to page…"

After the math class, then the English class (Crystal had no trouble with the topic and spoke fluently) and the art class, it was lunchtime. Crystal was surrounded by the girls as the bombarded her with questions and admired her simple outfit.

"So where did you come from?"

"What is your shirt from? I've never seen it before!"

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Hey guys, I can only answer one question at a time…" Crystal tried to speak.

"I have a question to ask you, Miss Niwa."

Satoshi walked up to her and ignored all of the other blushing girls.

"Are you who I think you are?" he asked.

Crystal felt herself becoming nervous. She recognized that question from long ago, so very long ago, but answered it anyway.

"Yes, I am who you think I am."

Satoshi looked into her eyes and she gulped. What did he want from her?

"I see… well then, have a good day", he spoke. As he walked away, Crystal noticed that half of the girls looked envious. She ignored them, for what did she have to fear?

"Hey Crystal, can I have your picture?" Takeshi came up to her. She nodded and smiled for the camera.

"Thanks! Say, why don't we hang out sometime? Maybe we can pictures of Dark or go to the museum or…" Takeshi got pushed back by two other girls. They were twins except one had longer hair than the other.

"Hey there, I'm Riku Harada. This is my younger sister- Ouch, Risa! Don't poke me like that!" the girl with short hair complained.

The one named Risa stuck out her tongue. "We're only five minutes apart from each other, Riku! That doesn't make you the older one!"

Riku sighed, "Well anyway, we want to tell you about a party we're having this weekend. If you want to come, here are our numbers."

"We hope you can come! Bring Daisuke if you want!" Risa giggled. They walked away with Riku asking her why she had done that while Risa just told her that she was _in love_ with Daisuke so shouldn't she make her move?

Crystal smiled and knew that she was going to have a great day.

o0o0o0o0o0

Satoshi walked home that day feeling unsatisfied. The Niwa girl, Crystal, seemed normal as any other girl. She had been the talk of the class about the places she had been and the things that she could. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have a crush on him, like many of the girls in the class did.

What was he going to do about her? Since she was a Niwa, she would have to participate in helping Dark with his nightly thefts. Maybe she could be bait to lure him in…

What was he thinking?! Her family was definitely going to have certain procedures to make sure she was safe. It would be impossible to do anything to her.

For some reason, she was also intriguing him to no end… but why?

o0o0o0o0o0

_Today was a great day. It was my first day of school! Already, a guy named Takeshi has asked me out… well, in a way. For some reason, he reminds me of that Ginkgo… no way, Ginkgo was a total asshole and pervert! Takeshi isn't like that even though he's the class clown._

_The Harada twins have asked me out to a party of theirs this weekend. It must be an early Christmas party since it's already December 16. What should I wear? Oh, one minute, To-to wants to know if I want some soup for snack…_

_Daisuke keeps apologizing for no reason. He says that he's sorry for his friend's antics. I keep telling him that Takeshi is alright with me. Then I told him about the Harada's party._

_"Well, are you going?" I asked._

_He blushed and said, "I'm thinking about it…"_

_"So, which twin do you like?"__ (In case you're wondering, dear journal, it's called a woman's intuition.)_

_He just became an even brighter shade of red. Then I got thrown into a bear hug from… who?_

_"Dark, is that you?" I mumbled into his shirt._

_He released me and grinned. "So, you want to know who Daisuke has a crush on, do you?"_

_He stepped back and said, "Well, Risa is alright. She is the younger one and is pretty cute. However, Riku is very feisty. She is so sweet when she's angry- Daisuke, stop hitting me on the head! Alright, I'll be quiet! Geez, I never do this sort of thing to you!"_

_**Anyway**__, there's one more thing I want to put down. There's also another boy in the class named Satoshi Hiwatari. He asked me the question that my (now deceased) half-uncle asked me. Oh damn, can he actually be related to him? If so, what the hell am I going to do?_

_Aunty is calling everyone down for dinner. I have to go; my stomach needs food._

_

* * *

_Disclaimer: I don't own D.N. Angel! Why do I have to put this down every time?! 

Sorry this took so long to type up! I had some writer's block. (Hey, it happens to all of us, doesn't it?)


	5. A Warning

_Family Matters_

Chapter 4: A Warning

Dark was out again to steal another piece of artwork. He couldn't suppress a chuckle as he watch the pandemonium below. The police were scurrying around like hamsters in a cage. The TV reporters were speaking into their microphones. The crowds were murmuring loudly. Inspector Saehara looked pathetic as he walked around in circles, intent on locking up the phantom thief for life.

And Dark was enjoying all of this.

_"Jeez, why did mom drag us out here? It's Friday night!" _Daisuke complained.

"What's wrong with having a little bit of danger in your life?" Dark asked as he revealed himself to the public.

_"There's nothing wrong with danger! I just want to relax for once in my whole life!"_ Daisuke exclaimed as Dark disguised himself as a guard.

"That's not going to happen for some time, Daisuke", Dark chuckled. He was already walking toward the desired art work.

The art work was known as the Flaming One. It was a crystallized sword that turned red when in sunlight. According to Emiko, their mom, it was supposed to have gotten rid of many enemies.

Dark quickly looked up and smirked. "Come out of hiding now please."

"What took you so long to get here, Dark?" a cold voice drawled out. Krad, the homicidal blond angel in white, flew down onto the ground. Dark ripped off his disguise and got into a defensive crouch.

"Do you want your head smashed into the ground again?" he threatened.

"For once idiot, I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to give you a warning."

Dark narrowed his eyes. This was an unusual situation. Krad was the kind of person who would use actions instead of words.

"Crystal Niwa… what a sweet girl she is. She just came to Azumano and she's already the most popular girl in the class."

"What are you trying to get at…?"

"All I'm saying is that since she's still the new girl, maybe she could have a guide…"

"She's not getting your kind of help, you damn bastard! She has a family already! If you even dare to go near her-"

Krad raised an eyebrow in mock curiosity. "What foul language you're using! I'll have to reprimand you for that. Maybe it'll be for you own good if your little diamond in the rough got into an accident… maybe during the Harada's party…"

"Why you little-" Dark swore, shooting a feather at Krad, which he dodged. He kicked Dark in the stomach, making him crash into the wall. Krad smirked at him before flying off.

_"Dark, we have to run!"_ Daisuke reminded him. Grabbing the sword, Dark crashed through a window and flew away from the museum. He was seething with anger.

o0o0o0o0o0

"So this is what you do every time Dark is stealing art?" Crystal asked. The Niwa family was sitting in front of the television. They had sighed in relief when the news reporter had said that Dark had escaped again, as usual. Inspector Saehara was in the background tearing his hair out.

"Well, at least he's not unconscious like he was two days", Grandpa said.

"I didn't know your brother had that sort of magic!" Towa squealed.

"He did rehabilitate himself by training" Crystal said.

"He changed into Dark, used a spell to make the real one invisible and flew out of there! He has to be a master of magic!"

"Not exactly… even Kyo himself has problems sometimes."

"But why did Wiz let Kyo use him as wings? It seems impossible to me", Kosuke said.

Grandpa sighed and said, "He probably had a piece of Dark's DNA to make it happen."

Crystal looked up when she heard a noise on the ceiling. A minute later, Dark stormed into the living room, the Flaming One in his hands.

"You're back!" Aunt Emiko cried out, pulling Dark into a tight hug. Wiz changed back and jumped into Crystal's lap. She giggled, knowing that he didn't want to get squished.

"I'll perform the sealing spell right now", Kosuke said. He took the sword and went downstairs with Grandpa and Towa. Emiko finished her hug and went down with them.

Dark, Crystal, Wiz and Daisuke were the only ones in the room now.

Dark lifted his head and looked into her eyes. He looked tired with narrowed eyes, not angry, but gently worried.

"Hey, are you alright? What happened?" Crystal inquired. Wiz made sad noises.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just ran into… an old friend of mine during the theft", Dark sat next to her.

"What did he do to you?"

"Nothing", he looked at the living room clock, "I… how is tomorrow's outfit going?"

"What? OMG, tomorrow's the party!" Crystal jumped up. "I have to go, take care of Wiz!" She ran upstairs and the bang of her door was heard.

_"Who knew she was actually a girly girl underneath?"_ Daisuke asked. Dark gave a small smile.

o0o0o0o0o0

Dark closed his eyes and changed back into Daisuke. Daisuke rolled up the sagging sleeves, slightly annoyed.

"Why didn't you tell her?"

_I didn't want her to tell us not to worry. Besides, if Krad wants to attack her during the party, it's best if she's kept in the dark._

"Ignorance is bliss, eh?"

_You're on the right track, but she really shouldn't be going out at all._

"Daisuke dear, is something wrong?" his mother came in with the rest of the family. Daisuke told them what Krad had threatened to do.

"This is terrible. Isn't there anything we can do?" Towa asked. Kosuke and Grandpa were in deep thought. They both looked up at the same time.

"Daiki, don't you think we should give her a small piece of artwork?" Kosuke asked.

"That sounds risky, but it may do it" Daiki answered.

"Why can't Daisuke stay nearby? He's going to the party too, right?" Emiko sized up her son, who blushed slightly.

"Yes, but he can't exactly do that. He's… a guy after all and he has his own friends to talk to, too" Daiki reminded his daughter.

"So you think an artwork is safe enough? What if it breaks? Then what do we do?"

"We'll just have to be there to see it through."

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own D.N. Angel.

For my other story _Bonds don't always break_, I will update as soon as I get an idea. (People, I don't mind comments or criticisms.)


	6. A Party Duel, Part I

_Family Matters_

Chapter 5: A Party Duel, Part I

"I can't choose…" Crystal mumbled.

It was Saturday, the day of the party. She was looking down at her bed, which had clothes heaped onto it.

"Should I take the red dress… maybe the jeans and dressy shirt; no, the dressy outfit should make an impression… I could take the dress, but it reveals some leg… the cleavage might be a problem with the boys… dress shoes or sneakers?"

After some thinking (about half an hour), she decided on the dress. Tying her hair up, she glanced into the bedroom mirror. A typical girl, black hair almost to her shoulders, medium brown eyes and an air of confidence. Grabbing her necklace off the bed, she attempted to put it on while getting on the black dress shoes

_Multi-tasking was never really my thing anyway…_

"There we go! Well, hello there…" she smirked at the mirror. Grabbing the purse Emiko gave her, she walked out of her room. She walked down the hall and paused in front of a door. She began pounding on it.

"Daisuke, are you dressed up? We shouldn't be late!"

o0o0o0o0o0

Daisuke looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He didn't want to mess up his tie, but he didn't want to ask for help either.

"Well, this is the best I can do…"

_Daisuke, you really need help! This isn't your best work at tying up a tie!_

"But-"

_Don't say a word, just make it look better!_

Pounding came from the door. Daisuke jumped slightly, distracted.

"Daisuke, are you dressed up? We shouldn't be late!"

"Sorry Crystal, I'm still changing. Give me five minutes."

"You can practice your manly charms on Riku, not the mirror! By the way, girls don't like too much aftershave! Just be yourself and look nice, but don't go overboard!" With the advice, she went downstairs.

_Boy Daisuke, are you really that desperate?_

Grimacing, Daisuke ignored the sarcasm, threw on the rest of his outfit and ran down to the living room. The family was gathered around the room as Kosuke was showing Crystal a charm bracelet.

"This should match your outfit. After all, don't girls these days like to show off their…bling?"

"…Uncle Kosuke, you need to check which century you're living in now…"

"I mean; jewelry! Anyway, I would like you to wear this. No, don't ask why, please put this on."

Daisuke rolled his eyes along with the other not-so oblivious family members at Kosuke's pitiful attempts. As the bracelet went on her wrist, it glinted for a second in the light. Only Dark noticed, but his mouth just twitched slightly.

"Well, come on, you have half an hour to get to the Harada's house, so get going already!" Kosuke said cheerily, standing up.

"One moment Dai-chan, I have to fix your tie!" Emiko sang.

"But mom-"

"Hush now, I know what to do!" she grabbed his tie unmercifully. Crystal giggled. Towa's eye was twitching from holding in her giggles. Daisuke just made his body limp until it all was over.

"Hurry up, hurry up; you'll be late! You have to walk there!" Emiko scolded. The teens got on their jackets and ran out the door. With all of the action gone, she turned around and looked at her husband.

"Kosuke that word shouldn't even be in your vocabulary. The kids would think that we're too old-fashioned!" Emiko chastised lightly. Kosuke's face turned red, then scarlet as she hugged him.

"But that bracelet will work at least, right?" Daiki interrupted.

"I made sure about** that**!" Kosuke gasped from Emiko's bear hug.

o0o0o0o0o0

"Welcome to the best party of the year!" Risa greeted Daisuke and Crystal at the front door. She was in a swirly, lacy dress that looked to be from the Victorian age. The flower in her hair, dance shoes and parasol matched the outfit.

"Hi…great to… see you", Daisuke puffed. He had been dumb enough to race against Crystal to the house. He had worried over her while trying not to mess up his attire at the same time. Ironically, Crystal's outfit was still okay. Daisuke had messed up his (neatly combed) hair and his tie needed to be fixed again.

"Hey Crystal, welcome to the house! I hope you enjoy yourself!" Risa smiled. She then proceeded to coo over her red Italian dress while Daisuke fixed his tie.

"This dress is just for parties; holidays… you know what I mean? Well Daisuke, let's go in!" Crystal cheered, dragging him inside.

"What a cute couple! ... Oh Satoshi, I'm glad you made it! Come inside!" Risa greeted him.

The teen prodigy was in a tuxedo, but his mind was on other things instead of the party…

o0o0o0o0o0

Takeshi watched the Niwa cousins enter the ball room. His eyes were more on Crystal, though.

"Hey Yakut, look at that!" he murmured excitedly, poking his classmate. The two looked at Crystal, who was being surrounded and admired by the other girls.

"Your dress is Italian?!"

"Look at those spaghetti straps! Hey, that necklace matches you very well!"

"The shoes seem to be Italian too, right?"

Yakut smirked, "Well, it seems we have ourselves a model in the class."

Takeshi sighed, "Aren't we lucky?"

"I bet that you won't be able to dance with her. You're so unlucky with girls."

"What, of course I can get a dance with that gorgeous angel of beauty! Step aside and watch me put on my moves!"

Takeshi marched away and went toward Crystal, pushing away the admiring girls as he went.

"Oh Crystal, can I dance- Hey, what's your problem?!" Takeshi was annoyed as he got pushed aside. Satoshi had beaten him there first. Crystal was startled, but was giving him her hand for the first dance. As he went back to Yakut, he saw his classmate chuckling.

"Aw, shut your trap!" Takeshi groaned.

o0o0o0o0o0

Crystal was swaying slowly on the dance floor. Satoshi was looking at her, but he seemed distant. She noticed that almost everyone was staring at the couple.

"Pay no attention to them", Satoshi said, giving her a start.

"So Satoshi, where did you learn how to dance?" she spoke, trying to stir up a conversation.

"… I didn't learn how to dance. I just watched others and besides, I can do it impulsively."

"Ah… do you like … art?"

Something suddenly seemed off with him. There was a strange malicious glint in his eye that was replaced with his regular calmness. His hand had tightened momentarily but was relaxing.

"Of course, why shouldn't I?"

Stepping back, he said, "Would you like to come outside with me? The twins have a huge garden. There are a few things I would like to talk to you about."

o0o0o0o0o0

Daisuke was having a great time. He was chatting nonchalantly with Riku about the weather, how the party was, homework… basically any topic he was able to come up with.

_Daisuke, you're so lame, I could fly circles around you right now…_Dark groaned, glancing at Risa and the other chatting girls in annoyance.

_Dark, just stay quiet… I could actually have my chance._

_If you'll stop being so boring, I want to get my chance too!_

_Can't you wait until you put out another warning or something else?_

_I wish, but…_

Dark felt something tug at the back of his mind. That only happened when his senses felt a storm on the horizon…

_Daisuke, where's Crystal? Something isn't right._

Daisuke whirled around in the middle of his sentence. In the back of the room, he saw Satoshi opening a glass paned door for Crystal, as an act of chivalry. She accepted and the two left the rest of the party.

"Riku, I'm sorry, but I have to see something for a moment", Daisuke hurried off.

"Wait up, Daisuke! Where are you-?" Riku yelled, but he was too far away by this time.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own DN Angel. 

It took some time to put this up… I'll try to be quicker next time. Seriously, I promise!


	7. A Party Dual, Part II

_Family Matters_

Chapter 6: A Party Duel, Part II

The garden was huge and part of it extended over a cliff. Huge trees, swaying grass, and flowers made everything up as the two people walked by.

"Never knew that their garden could be this big. Hey Satoshi, where and why are we going anyway?"

The teen genius simply led her down the path, smiling to himself, all of his plans and secret thoughts that were deliciously mysterious inside him. Maybe Krad had an inkling of what was about to happen, but then again; Crystal hadn't met the fallen angel yet…

The path sloped down to a small pavilion. It was pretty close to the border of white fence around the edge of the garden.

Close enough to the border for a very near tragedy. It could've been prevented, but Krad's mocking and Dark being too absorbed into his emotions made the both of them blind to all.

o0o0o0o0o0

_Daisuke, keep an eye on those two. Dammit, can't you get these bushes away from your eyes? _

Daisuke ignored him, his eyes riveted on the two pairs of feet heading toward the pavilion. The grass was tickling his neck and he crawled very slowly to avoid being detected. The two were talking about pretty random things. Boring, but one thing just wasn't right.

_Satoshi never talks randomly, for he always has a purpose. If he's like this today…_

_I know, so you better get ready to transform._

o0o0o0o0o0

_Breathe in… breathe out… ignore the pain…_

_Ignore the pain in your chest…_

"Satoshi, are you-"

_**Who's talking?**_

_Please, shut up already._

_**You are losing this battle, Satoshi-sama. Give up. It's futile to try and defeat me.**_

_You've tortured my ancestors for decades, Krad. I'm the last one of them and I won't give up. Ever._

"Maybe you should sit down while I get you some water. Is that okay?"

_**The young Niwa lady seems to have an attraction to you.**_

_Shut up and stay down already. Just for tonight._

_**You seem to worry about her safety even now.**_

_I only need help to capture Dark!_

_**Liar, we share the same body. You didn't bring her out her to talk about Dark.**_

_Who cares, just don't get out! Leave me alone! You've caused enough trouble already!_

"Satoshi, you're getting pale…"

_**No, I won't leave you alone. This façade has gone on long enough. You are my ward and soul. The soul especially, which controls this body…**_

_If you hurt her or Daisuke…_

_**Who said I was going to simply hurt them? I was planning to kill tonight, not hurt.**_

o0o0o0o0o0

"Satoshi, Satoshi… this isn't good…"

Crystal bit down on her lower lip. He wasn't responding to her. He was still breathing, but his eyes were shut and he was complaining of his head hurting him.

_Is it a fever or is he having a hallucination?_

Nervously fingering her necklace, she wondered if she should heal him now. No, that wouldn't do if he questioned her. She could just get a drink from the party and wake him up with it. Healing could come later.

Making sure he wouldn't fall off his seat, Crystal left the pavilion and raced down the garden path only to collide with a person. She jumped back and realized that she was looking up at Dark. He was wearing Daisuke's clothes for the party, which had grown with the transformation.

Without preamble, he spoke, "Did something happen?"

"Satoshi is in pain at the moment."

He narrowed his eyes and grabbed her wrists tightly.

"Damn, if he's in pain like that, it means-"

"It means that she dies tonight, Mousy", a voice spoke behind her. A fist punched her forehead and she crashed onto the grass near the white fence around the cliff. Staying on the ground, she watched the violence scale upward.

A stranger, dressed in Satoshi's party outfit, was smirking at Dark's furious expression. He had long blond hair tied in a strange style that seemed to glimmer like gold. His blue eyes could make any girl fall for him (like Dark's purple eyes) if they weren't full of malice.

"It's nice to see you again, Dark. I would chat, but your girl has to go."

o0o0o0o0o0

"Krad…"

It even hurt to say his name. Dark knew he was going to explode in fury if he didn't control himself. If he didn't, Daisuke would pay.

"You dare to threaten a member of the Niwa family? Do you think I'll even let you kill her?"

After a pause, he shouted out "Wiz, come here!"

A black figure dropped down on his back as Wiz became his wings. Armed and vengeful, he shot feathers at Krad, which he dodged easily.

Then Krad flew forward with his white wings and the two began an aerial fight. Slamming into each other, kicking, punching, pushing… anything to rule the sky.

Out of the corner of his eye, Krad noticed that Crystal was starting to come back to life. He waited until she was standing before swooping down and encircling his arms around her waist. Avoiding Dark's attacks and her attacks, he flew out across the water.

_Dark, wake up already! He's going to drown her!_

Putting on speed, he bashed into the fallen angel and attempted to retrieve Crystal.

Not to be daunted, Krad did a figure eight in mid-air and let go of her.

She had no time to even let out a scream.

Laughing at Dark, Krad said, "After this battle, you can retrieve her body, Mousy. It seems that I have one less opponent to fight now."

* * *

Disclaimer: I own no one except Crystal and any othe additional characters.

OMG... He actually wants to kill her that much...

Sorry for the delay!


	8. A Party Dual, Part III

_Family Matters_

Chapter 7: A Party Dual, Part III

Crystal banged her head on a rock. Coughing, she climbed up the offending rock (above the waves).

"How did I not drown…?

Then she realized the bracelet was flashing. She squinted, then started chuckling.

"So that's it? It's an artwork? Man, Kyo was right when he said that I need to pay attention to things!"

She struggled to stand on top of the slippery rock and looked out to sea. Already she could see the small flashes of light that indicated Dark and Krad's battle. Unfortunately, Dark seemed to be losing. He nearly fell out of the sky when he was smashed in the face.

"Oh no, Dark is probably crazed with anger by now! He can't feel the fact that I'm alive. I'll have to yell."

She drew in her breathe and yelled, "DARK, LOOK!"

She slipped off the offending rock and back into the water.

o0o0o0o0o0

"Just give up."

Those three words felt like salvation to him. Half of him wanted to give up and stop Krad from beating him up. He wanted to rest.

The other, stronger half of him was angry and clamoring for blood and death.

The homicidal white devil must die _tonight._

It wouldn't matter that two lives would be gone from that one body. It wouldn't matter that his tamer would hate him for killing his friend. It wouldn't matter that his family would fear him because he could _kill_. It wouldn't even matter that would have a hole in his mind, his soul and heart for eternity.

Could he live for eternity?

Blood…

"DARK, LOOK!"

Dark… Daisuke… Crystal… Crystal!

He quickly smashed a fist into Krad's face and flew back toward the Haradas' household. He needed to see if she was alive.

A hand, then the girl herself heaved her body back onto the rock. She was wet, coughing and probably had pneumonia, but she was alive.

"Dark, I'm alive. Stop fighting!"

He grabbed her around the waist and flew up, landing neatly in the backyard. The lights and music were still on and laughter was heard.

The three had not been missed.

"Whew Daisuke, that was close."

_I agree, but how are we getting out of here?_

Dark looked across the water. Krad was no longer there.

_Satoshi is probably back at the party…_

Crystal ran to the pavilion. (She had dropped her purse there when she wanted a drink.) She fished out her watch and stared at it. Then she ran back to Dark.

"Dark, we came here at 9:00?"

"Oy, Daisuke!"

_Lazy ass, we did! You have no sense of direction whatsoever…_

"He claims that we did."

Crystal frowned in distaste. "It's only 10:30, for pete's sake!"

o0o0o0o0o0

The long-suffering Takeshi saw Crystal coming in with Daisuke from the backyard. With puppy eyes, he ran up to her and knocked down Daisuke.

"Crystal, please have a dance with me! Please!"

Crystal looked down at him mournfully.

"I'll love to, but Daisuke and I have to go home early tonight. We have a family emergency."

"An emergency? Oh I'm sorry to disturb you, Crystal. Of course you have to go… and not dance with me…"

"Well, you can give me your phone number…"

Daisuke got up and grabbed her wrist as he brushed off imaginary dirt. "Sorry Takeshi, we're going now. We'll see everyone again on Monday."

He rudely dragged her out the door. Takeshi was on his hands and knees in shame.

"Lover boy", Yakut smirked at him.

Takeshi whimpered.

o0o0o0o0o0

Daisuke waited until they were a block away before sighing and letting go of Crystal' wrist. His eyes became purple and he scowled.

"I'll never understand that Takeshi. Daisuke, you have to stop letting that boy take advantage of you."

_Taking advantage of me? You took advantage of my body and form. I couldn't even say anything to Riku! Thanks a lot for wasted effort._

"Daisuke, be nice. Ah, he doesn't mean you Crystal. He's being cranky again."

_Dark, you bastard!_

"Now that we're out here, Wiz can give us a flight home."

Saying so, he unleashed his wings and, grabbing Crystal, shot up into the air. She screamed in delight.

"Whoa, someone seems to hate heights!"

"I'm not afraid. I have never flown like this before! It's different from a plane."

Dark flew slowly to allow her to catch her breath. That was impossible. The lights down below illuminated Azumano's night.

They saw food places that were open 24/7. A few couples had snuck into a park and were looking at the stars. Unconditionally, some people were swaying slightly from leaving their own little parties. Everyone seemed well.

"Ah, the December air seems to have an effect on everyone. I'm starting to feel sad for leaving so early."

"I can walk home by myself. I am fourteen, Dark."

_No way!_

Dark looked into her eyes. "We can't do that to you. The air can also have a bad influence on other people, Crystal. They may want to harass a lady like you."

She looked away in distaste. "I can fight when I need to. I don't sleep all day."

_Just like Riku…_ Daisuke sighed, imagining being with her.

Dark rolled his eyes and leaned his forehead on Crystal's. "Just don't do anything if you feel it will get you into trouble."

"Promise me that too, Dark."

"Crystal…"

o0o0o0o0o0

Satoshi Hiwatari was exhausted.

After the fight, he had stayed at the party to simply observe his classmates. He had watched Crystal quietly reject Takeshi's proposal for a dance. Daisuke… no, it had been Dark who dragged her out of there. Apparently, he had to heal and he knew Satoshi had been watching.

To clarify that point, Satoshi had smiled directly at Dark's (Dasuke's) glare.

Satoshi carefully sat in his chair, trying not to sit back. His back was still inflamed from Krad's wings and had two pink slashes on it. His face was bruised from that last punch Dark threw at Krad. He would have to wear an eye patch to school to cover the black eye.

Crystal Niwa could really dance. It had been a short one, but it was the only one. (Did she take classes?)

Of course, his fan girls tried to dance with him after she left. Her departure had given them hope.

Of course, he had rejected them all.

"I was going to ask for her phone number…"

He shook his head and smirked. He wasn't going to get the number off the computer. That would be rude.

After getting her cell phone number, it would have been easy to ask her out.

Not on a date, an information gathering.

He wanted information. On Dark, on Daisuke, on her family…

…and what involvement her family had with his deceased father.

_Kyo Niwa… what did you do?_

o0o0o0o0o0

_Dear Journal,_

_I had to leave Riku and Risa's party way too early. It wasn't fair! I didn't know that an insane winged person would be attacking me!_

_Auntie Emiko was worried for our safety and pissed off at Krad. (the white-winged person) Apparently, the Niwa family has been against him for a looong time._

_Dark explained that Krad was like him except that he was out to hurt the Niwa family. That included trying and killing me. He said that like Daisuke and him, Krad and Satoshi were partners. (tamer and angel- or whatever Dark and Krad were.)_

_Speaking of which, what was that weird bracelet Uncle Kosuke gave me?_

_He said, "Well Crystal, it doesn't have a name. However, it has a spell that has saved many souls from being lost at sea. It keeps them afloat until they reach land."_

"_Its name is Vigor!"_

"_Um, suit yourself."_

_Another weird event was that Dark was giving me a hug (I was in pajamas!) and did something. Whatever it was, it was Daisuke who was blushing when he let go. I'm guessing that Dark had kissed my forehead. Yes, it sounds a little weird, but it doesn't matter. He's just being part of the family. I don't think he'll go perverted on me like Ginkgo… grrr, that dumbass Ginkgo!_

_Ah Satoshi… I think he likes me. Why would he have asked me to dance anyway? I should be careful of his fan girls though. (There was twenty-six of them at the party. Who knows how many he has at school!)_

_Takeshi seems to like me a little too. I should get a chance to know him since I had to go home early. Should I ask him? No, he'll get embarrassed. I'll let him be a man and wait for him to ask._

_My injuries are light. I have a bruised head, scratches on my body and an aching tiredness. Grandpa assured me I won't get any diseases. (But he made To-to get me some tea.)_

_Well, it has been exciting. I just wish Kyo has the courage to stay in this house again. He shouldn't feel guilty. Please come for Christmas!_

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own DN Angel!

I'm sorry I'm late! My bosses (M+N) were finally happy with this chapter. They happen to like criticizing me! (Wa, stop!)

Satoshi may be able to get more intimate with Crystal. Takeshi may finally get to know Crystal better. And... lets hope that the fan girls don't do anything!

See ya next time.


	9. That old bastard

_Family Matters_

Chapter 8: That old bastard...

"Two parfaits, please."

"Parfaits in the middle of December? Isn't it too cold for this time of year?"

_Parfaits will make you sicker than you already are!_

"Jeez Dark, I know that already."

_If you get sick, than I will too! It's not a good feeling to have two people in the same body sick!_

"I've felt that before…"

Seeing him distracted, Crystal placed a foot in front of Daisuke's moving feet. He tripped and she caught him before he hit the floor. Dai-chan just stared at her while Dark spoke out very graphically about Daisuke not being a proper thief and that Crystal better not kill them.

"If you don't want one, To-to and Wiz are sharing your parfait."

_That's a pretty cute yet idiotic couple to think about…_

The teens sighed. The whole Niwa clan was out shopping for various (mostly useless) things. (It's not family because in the crowded market, they are really a clan. There's so many of them!) When she asked, Uncle Kosuke said that they needed to do something with their money. Either use it for firewood or buy _useless_ things with it.

Crystal realized that the money came from the black market. With all the research on the artworks and artworks themselves, it was possible that they would have to find things on the market. Though no one flashed off, the Niwa's were above middle-class but spent enough to claim to not be wealthy.

"I'm not taking mine."

"Fine. Wiz, To-to! I have a strawberry parfait for you guys!"

Wiz and To-to (in bird form) ran over the table for a taste. Daisuke laughed as they jumped up and down to reach the straws, which were high for them. Crystal finished her parfait early and placed the tip on the table.

Daisuke said, "Don't wait for me."

"Okay, I'll be looking around."

"The meeting place is at the fountain at 5 pm! See ya there!"

December 19 was a beautiful Sunday. Even the events from last night's party couldn't damper her spirits.

Humming a little, Crystal browsed through food stalls, toys, books and antiques. Most of the antiques, although pretty, were actually younger than the antiques Kyo usually looked at. He wasn't an archeologist; he just liked old things. Especially artworks…

At 4 pm, Crystal was finished looking around (she only brought five bucks with her) and started heading toward the parfait shop where she left her cousin.

Then she felt a shiver up her spine. Her necklace got colder against her skin. Crystal whirled around.

A familiar crop of blue-green hair was seen fifty steps from her at the fountain. Crystal could also make out the two hulking shapes of bodyguards.

_Ginkgo…_

Crystal sprinted to the shop, her dignity right behind her.

o0o0o0o0o0

"Um… are you sure we should go home earlier than the rest of the family?"

Daisuke was wondering why Crystal was acting so weirdly. She was clinging to him and refused to let go of his arm. She had lost some of the color in her face and kept looking behind every few seconds.

"Daisuke, believe me when I say something this _serious_. I really needed to go back here. I wasn't feeling well."

To-to, back as a maid, touched her forehead.

"Your forehead is okay. Do you have a stomach ache?"

"I wish. Look, I'm going up to take a nap. If I'm lucky, I'll be sick for school tomorrow."

Crystal held onto her stomach and stumbled upstairs. After some thought, Wiz followed her.

The front door slammed open and Emiko flounced in. Grandpa and Kosuke were struggling with her bags. (There were twenty of them!)

"Emiko, you really should carry some these bags. They're heavy!"

"Just drop them on the table, Kosuke. Oh To-to, what's for dinner?"

Grandpa and Kosuke quickly shuffled over to the table and slammed the bags on it. The table cracked a little but stayed upright.

"I really need to tell Emiko to stop buying so much."

"You should tell her to HELP once in a while!"

o0o0o0o0o0

It was 60°F this Monday.

It was so cold.

Crystal was pissed off at her cousin's uniform. Even with the short sleeved shirt, he had protection from his long pants. Her short skirt (only FOUR stupid inches above the knee) was going to be hazardous to her health. She was convinced that she'll get either a cold or get raped by a man/woman pervert. (Though women perverts were rarer, Kyo had spoken out about the many women rapists who had tried to put a hand down _his_ pants. Long story short, he had been lucky, but… his boxers were the only survivors of those incidents.)

"Daisuke!"

Looking up, she saw Riku calling to him. He ran immediately to her side and followed her into the school. It was still early, so she decided to sit under a tree to wait for the bell to ring.

A limo drove up to the school gates and stopped.

That shiver went back up her spine. She leapt up as the boy came out.

The boy was her age with blue-green hair and grey eyes. Crystal shuddered at the sight of the school uniform he wore. He was grabbing his bag out of the limo.

Turning around, they met face to face.

He smirked. She glowered.

"Rutile Ginkgo… welcome to Azumano High."

"Niwa Crystal… your body's curves are still as luscious as ever."

"Enough said, why the hell are you here in Japan? And even in this small place?"

"I'm here for some art business. However, since you also live here, I thought I would say hello."

"No matter the excuse, you're a stupid bastard."

"Maybe, but you didn't have to show me up at that last party."

"I have never liked you. At that party in Paris, the nasty rumors surrounding you kept me away."

Ginkgo walked until he was in front of her. Crystal was now visibly shaking like a volcano.

"It's good that your brother can't save you."

"Piss off."

"Sorry, but I'm attending this school for as long as I need to."

He leaned over and said, "You'll surrender and be mine."

He grabbed her right breast.

The volcano exploded and he was punched to the ground. He tasted blood and dirt in his mouth.

Looking up, he saw it. The girl was still the same, but that evil glint in the eyes had been resurrected from those days. Being driven too far, the glint had taken over and had caused a lot of chaos.

Resulting in the destruction of his get-rich plan and forcing him to bear the red scars on his body.

The tardy bell rang, signaling the students to hurry up.

Crystal ignored it and walked out the school gates.

Ginkgo smirked and walked into the school to find a nurse.

Satoshi slipped off the tree he had been sitting on, sapphire eyes clouded with the memory of the encounter.

o0o0o0o0o0

"… and that's why Dark is such a pervert and that Risa shouldn't even like him!"

"That was a lot of reasons, Riku…"

"I don't care about what you say! I'll still love Dark!"

Regina-sensei walked into homeroom.

"Daisuke-kun! Riku-chan! Risa-chan! Get back to your seats. We have a new student here."

_Another one? What do you think Daisuke, girl or boy?_

"I really don't care, Dark, but I assume you want a girl?"

_Hell yeah!_

"I'm sharing my body with a self-absorbed playboy… How fun…"

_Hey, Satoshi is late!_

The genius walked into the classroom unannounced. He passed by Daisuke's desk and sat down. Daisuke blinked at him before the new student came in.

He had a black eye and a scuffed up face, but he was still pretty good-looking to the girls. He cocked his head and smiled brightly.

"Hey dudes, my name's Rutile Ginkgo. My origin is of America and I have learned five languages in order to get around. I like traveling and yes, I'm extremely straight."

He flashed another smile before bounding to the back of the room for his seat.

While the lesson went on, Satoshi couldn't stop growling to himself.

Daisuke pretended to look at his math book while reading the note Satoshi had slipped to him when he came in.

_The new student is too dangerous. He must be kept away from Crystal! See me after school at the gates._

Daisuke turned to the back of the room. The desk behind Satoshi was empty.

_Shit, where did she go?!_

* * *

Disclaimer: DON"T OWN IT! HEAR ME NOW!

Ginkgo learned his languages from a private tutor.

I really don't like him or of what he did that has made Crystal so mad... it's still sketchy, but it's purely EVIL!


	10. A Rolling Stone

_Family Matters_

Chapter 9: A Rolling Stone

"Okay class, have a great Winter Recess!"

Daisuke zoomed past Regina-sensei and across the school yard.

When did his cousin think she had the right to go? It was weird. There couldn't be a reason for doing such a thing.

He turned around and took a few steps back as Satoshi came around the corner behind him.

"You wanted to say something?"

Satoshi looked around the yard before saying, "Your cousin should be more careful than ever."

"Huh?"

"I'm trying to say… Krad may want to kill her, but he's not the most dangerous person around."

Daisuke followed his gaze and blinked at Ginkgo. He was talking to Takeshi, laughing about a pointless matter.

"What do you mean?"

"I simply think that whatever secrets your cousin was hiding before has followed her here."

"Thanks… but shouldn't Crystal watch out for… _you_?"

Satoshi turned away.

"Tell her to do so… one more thing… Ginkgo happens to be an art dealer…a client from America. He's deeply into the arts and their possible uses, maybe as much as the Hikari family was…"

o0o0o0o0o0

_Daisuke,_

_We all went out for another shopping spree!! Make sure you and Crystal get home. There are leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry. See you later!_

_Love,_

_Mom_

"Another shopping spree is going to break grandpa's back…"

Dark gave a sigh to that thought.

One time, Daisuke had the brilliant idea of weighting how much the bags he had been carrying during a shopping spree were. It turned out to be twenty pounds for four bags. When he had measured the other bags, the grand total was 50 pounds for the ten bags. Asphyxiation would definitely find them underneath all of those bags!

Daisuke threw his bag onto the bed. A squeal came out of the mattress. He jumped slightly before realizing that Wiz had stayed behind to sleep. The rabbit jumped on him and 'kyuued' as Dai petted him.

"Dark, where would Crystal have gone? She's still new here, so there can't be many places to look around."

_Thinking about it, the largest area she ever traveled around on was during the last time we shopped. If we went there…_

"It's worth a try; we have no other lead. I'm going Wiz."

He bounded up and opened his wardrobe. After consideration, he took out a trench coat and sunglasses.

"Well, not the best thing ever, but it shall do."

o0o0o0o0o0

Crystal watched the pennies tumble and spin to the bottom of the fountain. She leaned against it to watch the sunset in the water, the sun seeming to slowly drown in it and take the light away. She sighed and dragged her fingers on the cold stone.

It would've been wiser to go home immediately. But home could never be the sanctuary she wanted it to be.

Only Kyo had been there at the time of the disaster.

Only _he _would understand how she had to run out of that horrid little room to avoid the hands.

Only _he_ would know the fury that was unleashed.

It never had to be like that. Her sense of giving, her almost endless forgiveness had brought that fate about. Why did she become so naïve, so confident to turn her back on Kyo? She had forgotten his crystal clear understanding of the human emotions…

Crystal hugged herself and tried not to think about the hands.

The wind whipped around her from the whirring of wings. She didn't have to turn around to know…

"Crystal, it's getting late."

Dark landed on the ground with his usual gracefulness. He inched down his sunglasses and gave an impish grin. Crystal giggled, forgetting serious thoughts.

"It's much too early for you to be stealing anything. Are you on a date?"

"Yes."

"Well, with whom?"

Dark cocked his head in mock confusion. "I was waiting for you at the house, but since you never came back, I thought you ran off with some other handsome guy."

Crystal gasped and brought her head back in dramatic shock. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting. I was being a nuisance again."

"Heh, just come along with me now since you've been found.

"Okay, can you find somewhere to eat?"

Dark helped her up and twirled her around. "Sure, follow me."

o0o0o0o0o0

"Bastard… not letting me pay for dinner…"

"Hey, I was being nice by paying the whole bill today. Don't force me to do anything now."

Crystal shook her head in disbelief. Dinner hadn't been bad. The salmon teriyaki had been well done. Of course, trying to pay for the bill had been too much of a hazard.

Wiz was asleep in her arms, cooing about the table scraps she had given him. Crystal smiled down at him, once again content.

Dark narrowed his eyes halfway.

"Something happened today, kid?"

"I just felt like skipping today. It's the last day, after all. Anything important I missed?"

"… I was actually asleep for the whole day. Those annoying teachers are always jabbing about things I don't need to know, especially in history. They even get most of the facts wrong. Like, do you know…?"

o0o0o0o0o0

"What can I do now that I've come all the way here?"

Ginkgo mused over the flyers spread out on the desk. After consideration, he selected six of them and stuffed them in his school bag. He clicked it shut and placed it over his shoulder as he headed out of the room.

Inside the dark privacy of the limo, he took out one of the flyers and read it again.

It was announcing the arrival of an art exhibit from France, staying temporarily in the Regal Art Museum. The prize of the collection was a homely statue of a girl, eyes barely opened out of possible fatigue.

Ginkgo nodded.

"Chauffer, move onto the Regal Museum then."

He sat back and closed his eyes as the limo started up, the flyer lying flat against his chest.

* * *

Man, such a long time since I came back...

Edit: I realized I called this chapter 8 too. :o That's all, sorry!


End file.
